Nadal, a professor in theSchool of World Studiesin theCollege of Humanities and Sciences, and students taking her class on understanding language and Latin American cultures this summer have been volunteering with the World Pediatric Project, which brings critically ill children from developing countries to the United States for medical care.

Nadal and her students have been visiting with the children and their mothers, conversing with them in Spanish and teaching them basic English phrases, bringing the children toys and coloring books, and generally trying to make them feel welcome in a foreign country amid often difficult medical procedures.

“When the patients come with the World Pediatric Project, they’re usually here for two or three months. They’re here for very serious surgeries. When they’re here, they’re essentially alone, day in and day out. They [often] don’t speak English,” Nadal said. “To have VCU students, with their great attitudes, to come and talk to them and play with the children is just wonderful.”